Homeless Florida Student Graduates High School As Valedictorian, Beating All Odds

(Illustration - Frannyanne/Shutterstock)

Despite struggling with homelessness and living in shelters with his mother, this Florida high school senior’s hard work and determination of overcoming challenges has paid off, as he became the top student in his graduating class.

Martin Folsom, a high school senior at A. Philip Randolph Career Academy in Jacksonville, was ready to walk across the stage at the Times Union Center of Performing Arts for his graduation ceremony in the last week of May 2020. However, due to the pandemic, the event was canceled.

Needless to say, Martin has been waiting for the moment where he can don his graduation robe and hat as valedictorian, especially after he had to overcome so many hurdles for the day he could graduate high school and go to college.

“It’s been a rocky road, a lot of hardships. But seeing myself now, [...], about to go to college – it feels good knowing all the stuff I’ve done was worth it,” Martin said in a video message uploaded on Duval County Public Schools website.

Alluding to this special moment, Martin said, according to Action News Jax, “It kind of gave me a jolt in my chest a little bit so it was a good feeling.”

Martin and his mom have been grappling with homelessness ever since his childhood, even while he was attending high school.

“It was actually the time when we were not really homeless for the longest time,” Martin said, “but it was when we were at our lowest because it was when we literally had nowhere to stay for an entire day.”

However, Martin, who has served as class president of his grade for four consecutive years, was determined to have a better future. The grateful high school graduate credits his mom for being by his side through all the difficulties and “always encouraging me.”

“She has been the person that, whenever I did end up getting upset or whenever I needed somebody to laugh with her [sic] talk to, she was always there,” Martin said.

Recalling the first day he and his mom spent time at a homeless shelter in 2012, Martin shared that the people there sacrificed a lot of their time and effort to help him and his mom survive, and he owes it to them. He strongly believes that “all the stuff they invested in me wasn’t worth nothing.”

Beyond being exceptional in academics, Martin is also a caring and helpful teen. He has led life through having the responsibility of “being somebody people can go to when they need advice.”

Martin, who has accomplished so much in the last few years, believes that he is the first person in his family to actually attend college and obtain a degree.

As a proud valedictorian, Martin shared his advice with his fellow students, saying, “Take advantage of any opportunity you can, cause you never know where it’s going to lead you or what you can end up getting out of it.”

(Rob Hainer/Shutterstock)

As for what the future holds, Martin plans to attend Valdosta State University to study accounting and finance. He hopes to work for the FBI one day.

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